2012’s 10 Must-Buy Vegan Cookbooks

Sweet Potato Gnocchi with Sage Butter. Three Cheeze Pesto Pizza. Vanilla Pound Cake with Lemon-Lime Glaze. Are your tongues wagging? Your culinary (heck, just regular) hearts racing? These three delectable dishes are just a few of the hundreds found in this year’s newest vegan cookbooks. From your ultimate guide to vegan grilling to going raw (well, almost), the upcoming books on our must-read (and by “read” we mean “cook and devour”) list cover everything under the vegan cooking sun. The world might be ending in a few months, but at least we’ll have Falafel Sliders with Avocado Hummus before it all goes down.

1. Chloe’s Kitchen: 125 Easy, Delicious Recipes for Making the Food You Love the Vegan Way by Chloe Coscarelli (Simon & Schuster, March)
Did you know that Chloe Coscarelli was the first vegan to win Food Network’s Cupcake Wars? But of course! This wonderful, talented (and adorable!) chef can make more than just a mean cupcake. The pages of Chloe’s Kitchen are filled with appetizers (Artichoke-Walnut Pesto Crostini), entrées (Herbed Polenta Cutlets with Marsala Mushroom Ragout), and sandwiches (Mango Masala Panini) that will have you preheating your oven in no time (though there are cupcakes too—Ginger Nutmeg Spice Cupcakes, to be exact).

2. Practically Raw: Flexible Raw Recipes Anyone Can Make by Amber Shea Crawley (Vegan Heritage Press, March)
Whether you’re looking to incorporate more raw meals into your culinary repertoire or a raw foodist looking to warm things up a bit, Practically Raw is the book for you. Crawley’s recipes are flexible-raw, meaning that a cooked option is available for many of the uncooked dishes. And we must say, we’ll gladly be the ones who decide if the raw or cooked version of Primavera Pesto Pizza is tastier.

3. The Sexy Vegan Cookbook: Extraordinary Food from an Ordinary Dude by Brian L. Patton (The New World Library, March)
Anyone who starts out a cookbook with a quote from Mr. Spock is already a winner in our (cook)book. The Sexy Vegan isn’t short on anything: humor, sass, creativity, or delicious food. We’re particularly excited about Patton’s breakfast chapter aptly titled “The Second Most Important Meal of the Day, After Cocktails.” Humor and the Mostest Ultimate-est Breakfast Sandwich in the History of the Universe? We’re in love.

4. Ani’s 15-Day Fat Blast: The Kick-Ass Raw Food Plan to Get Lighter, Tighter, and Sexier … Super Fast by Ani Phyo (Da Capo Press, May)
We’re already huge fans of Ani Phyo’s raw-food cookbooks, so it’s only natural that we’re stoked for her newest uncooked cookbook. Fat Blast answers your questions and concerns about a raw diet, and, if you’re looking to slim down, offers an easy, all-raw plan that will help you lose up to 15 pounds in 15 days. Losing weight while enjoying sushi and dessert? That sure beats the Master Cleanse.

5. Grilling Vegan Style: 125 Fired-Up Recipes to Turn Every Bite into a Backyard BBQ by John Schlimm (Da Capo Press, May)
We first fell in love with John Schlimm when we read his boozy cookbook, The Tipsy Vegan, in 2011. Less than a year later, Schlimm is back with Grilling, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the top 10 cookbooks for Spring 2012. And with flame-ready recipes like Grilled Corn on the Cob with Lime & Pepper Sauce and Two-Faced Avocado Sandwiches, we can see why. But don’t worry—Schlimm still keeps you refreshed with an entire chapter on happy-hour offerings. July Martini with Strawberries and Honeydew, anyone?

6. Great Gluten-Free Vegan Eats: Cut Out the Gluten and Enjoy an Even Healthier Vegan Diet with Recipes for Fabulous, Allergy-Free Fare by Allyson Kramer (Fair Winds Press, June)
Allyson Kramer knows her food. Author of the popular blog Manifest Vegan, Kramer is penning her first cookbook with Eats. Considering the fact that the recipes (and photography!) on Manifest Vegan are beyond stellar, we’re pretty darn sure her first published work is going to be a success. And with Walnut Ravioli with Vodka Sauce and Chocolate Hazelnut Brownie Cheesecake, how could it not be?

7. Vegan à la Mode: More Than 100 Ice Creams, Gelatos, Granitas, and Other Frozen Delights by Hannah Kaminsky (Skyhorse Publishing, June)
Basically, the only thing you need to know about Vegan à la Mode is that it’s all ice cream, all the time. VN Columnist and master of vegan sweets Hannah Kaminsky is on her third saccharine tome, and if à la Mode is anything like Vegan Desserts and My Sweet Vegan, you’re going to actually want all ice cream (more specifically, Pink Pomegranate Marble Gelato and Coconut Chai Ice Cream), all the time (more specifically, 24-7).

8. Artisan Vegan Cheese by Miyoko Schinner (Book Publishing Co., August)
Forget tofu feta: Artisan Vegan Cheese is going to blow the lid off of everything you’ve ever heard about vegan cheese (or tasted, for that matter). Schinner, a longtime dairy-free master, uses the culturing process to create her cheeses as opposed to lemon juice or vinegar. In addition, only whole foods are used to make everything from the soft Meltable Monterey Jack to Pub Cheddar with Chives. And that’s not all: While the first half of the book is cheese central, the second half is filled with recipes that use the cheeses, from Butternut Squash and Gruyère Ravioli to Chocolate-Chestnut Cannoli.

9. Cookin’ Crunk: Eatin’ Vegan in the Dirty South by Bianca Phillips (Book Publishing Co., August)
A native of the mid-South and a current Memphian, Bianca Phillips has spent most of her life making Southern and soul food veggie-friendly. Needless to say, Cookin’ Crunk will be both authentic and belly-filling delicious. We can’t wait to stir up recipes for Country Fried Tempeh Steak with “Milk” Gravy, Fried Tofu Chicken Wafflewich with Maple-Dijon Sauce, and Holy Molé Chocolate-Chili Cupcakes with Cinnamon Buttercream.

10. Vegan Eats World by Terry Hope Romero (Da Capo Press, November)
We’re not sure, but we can only imagine how difficult it must be to improve upon such cookbooks as Veganomicon and Vegan Pie in the Sky. However, we think the co-author of the aforementioned books, one Terry Hope Romero, could do it with Vegan Eats World. VN’s Hot Urban Eats columnists travels the world in her newest tome, and leaves readers with recipes such as Grilled Leek Crepes with Romesco Sauce and Mochi Red Bean Ice Cream Dumplings.